After events of Hearts and Youth
by oSaraho-26
Summary: After hearts are returned and youth is restored things turn complicated.Misunderstandings set Sophie off to make her fortune and Howl is lost with out her. Can he find Sophie in time to make her see where her fortune truely lies? HowlxSophie
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

It had been a week since the Witch of the Waste had been defeated, Howls contract with Calcifer broken, and Sophie's curse removed. She thought that when Howl spoke of living "Happily Ever After" he had well and truly meant it, but apparently he had just been caught up in the moment. At least that's what she assumed now, for not another word of anything having to due with happy futures had been uttered to Sophie. In the immediate days that followed Howl spent long hours at the palace discussing what ever it was he had to discuss with the King and Wizard Sulliman. When he was home it seemed he would only speak to Sophie when asked direct questions from her and avoided eye contact if at all possible. This treatment confused and frustrated her greatly.

One night after Michael had left to visit Martha she sat alone thinking far to much and concluded it was time to confront Howl.

Humph! Sophie thought, where does he come off like this? I gave him his heart back after all, the least he can do is treat me like a civilized human being!

And so she sat sewing furiously at the new dress she was making, not paying a bit of attention to it really, and thought of how Howl was going to get it once he put his polished shoe through that door. But as the hours passed she began to slow her furious pace, and think somewhat nicer thoughts towards Howl.

Maybe I am being a bit hard on him, he did after all have quite a lot to go through in such a short amount of time. And I cant imagine what the King has been demanding of him since he killed the Witch.

Sighing softly she rested her hands in her lap and stared at the hearth which seemed dark and a bit lonely with out its previous occupant. Calcifer would come in late and sleep till noon, get up and do it all again. He was a bit like Howl now, always gone never saying where he was going or what he did in the long hours he was away. She guessed he was flying around getting into trouble the way only mischievous fire demons could.

Sophie jerked out of her daze as she heard the click of the wheel above the door and watched as the knob turn down, noting the dial set for the Kingsbury Door. Sure enough a blonde flamboyant figure strode through the door and stopped dead upon locking eyes with Sophie. All thoughts fell right from her head and her heart fluttered a bit, this time having nothing to do with scarecrows.

Come on Sophie! Pull yourself together, really! She furrowed her brow and stood up trying to look busy by gathering her sewing and taking it to her cubby space beneath the stairs.

"Good evening Sophie." Howl spoke as he turned shutting the door behind him and made his was up the steps. He was still dressed in his black suit for mourning, which was truly the blue and silver jacket, and looked all together rather plain considering.

His most modest outfit yet! Thought Sophie as she pulled the curtain back and threw her dress onto her mattress. Scowling and trying to ignore her pounding heart in her ears she spun around and stumbled right over the stool in front of her.

She let out a quite un-Sophie-like squeal as she toppled down, yet just as her youthful face was about to collide with her clean floor, firm arms lock around her and pull her back upright. Gasping and wide-eyed she found herself nose to nose with Howl and him standing firmly pressed against her, or, was it she who was pressed against him? Sophie felt her cheeks heat with color and she stumbled back from him.

" Oh Howl, I-Im sorry! Thank you! I- Im afraid I haven't quite gotten used to being able to move so quickly again yet." She smoothed her hands down her dress while she spoke, then looked up to meet his gaze while shoving her unruly hair out of her face. Had her hair always been this fine? Or was it something to do with going from old white hair to young red hair again? What ever it was it was now impossible for her to do anything with so she left it down more often than not.

"You don't need to apologize Sophie, I feel obligated to rescue you from your self destructive ways. Really what would you do with out me?" Howl flashed his dazzling smile before moving to sit in the chair next to the hearth.

"Humph. Get rid of those blasted spiders for one thing!" She frowned again as she moved to have a seat next to him. Her heart began settling back to its normal pace, arguing with him always did bring her back to her sorts.

"Have Michael and Calcifer been out all day?"

"Calcifer left shortly after you did, Michael has only been gone about 2 hours though." She looked towards him thoughtfully, this was the most he'd spoken to her all week. Howl stared absentmindedly at the empty fireplace, which Sophie had cleaned earlier in the day and since Calcifer had not yet come back, was still free of ash.

After a few moments of silence it was obvious that Howl was not going to make any more attempts at conversation, so sighing Sophie got up and made her way to the kitchen.

"Ill make us some tea if you'd get a real fire going." She then proceeded to bang around a bit until she found the tea kettle, knowing exactly where it had been but thought a good clashing of pans would help the silence. Sophie made her way back to the hearth to find quite a nice fire going, but no sign of Howl.

Slither-outer! She grumbled to herself. The coward cant even sit with me through a little cup of tea!

"Boil quickly!" She spat at the tea kettle.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from HMC.

Sorry such a super short chapter.

* * *

CHAPTER 2

"_Howl, what is the matter?" Sophie reached out to touch his arm as he stood beside her in the flower garden. He wouldn't look at her, instead gazing out at all the plants she had grown since he had brought the castle here. Yellow daisies and pink poises, giant roses and golden tiger lilies, the most popular flowers sold in the shop grew closest to the castle. Her experimental plants grew further towards the Waste, some growing almost as tall as she and seemed to suite the mood she had been in the day they were sewn into the ground. There was one such spot that held many a thorny, twisted branches from which flowers could not be sold. _

"_Howl! Stop slithering out of this and tell me what's going on!" The flowers around them seemed to shudder._

"_You know Sophie, I don't think I want a flower shop any more." Flowers began curling in on themselves, and Sophies chest grew tight._

"_What-what do you mean you don't want the flower shop any more? Its nothing you need to worry about, I can manage it, Michael is wonderful at helping-" She stopped short as he turned to face her, his eyes finally resting even with hers. _

"_You've broken your curse and my contract with Calcifer. Really I don't see a need to keep the shop going any more, if you understand what I mean Sophie." The plants around them grew black and shriveled, the ones closest began slumping into puddles of foul smelling liquid. She stared up at him and tried to form some kind of reply, but all she could do was feel the world she knew literally dieing around her. Finally she mumbled a response as she backed away from him._

"_Your right, I don't have a reason to stay any longer. I should leave as soon- as soon as possible then." _

_Stupid , stupid Sophie! She screamed in her mind. Pulling her eyes away from Howls impassive face she turned and fled until she came to the border of the garden and Waste. Stopping abruptly she looked out across the desert, the wind burned her cheeks and whipped through her long hair._

_Something began tugging at the hem of her dress, and looking down she saw her feet completely covered in the foul black goo . All around her the plants and flowers she had grown were dieing, sinking to the ground to cover it in their waste. Sophie tried to pull her feet up to run back towards the castle but she was stuck fast in the thick goop. _

"_Howl! Howl help Im stuck!" she turned around to call out for him, but Howl and the castle were no where in sight. They had disappeared, leaving Sophie alone. Her chest began to ache and her lungs couldn't seem able to take in enough air. _

_He left, he left me. Tears streamed down her face and her breathing became choked._

_He left me.._

Sophie bolted upright in her bed, covered in sweat and panting heavily. She leaned forward and snatched the curtain back to peer into the main room. There was a soft glow coming from the hearth and faintly she could hear soft snoring from Michaels room.

Dream. It was only a dream. Sophie sighed heavily and flopped back against the pillows. What did it mean?

"I know exactly what's going on, Im just to stubborn to accept it." she said to herself.

She put her hands to her face and fought back the tears that were threatening to fall.

I wont cry I _wont._ Come on Sophie how could you let this happen? You knew exactly what you were getting yourself into!

She sat back up in bed and looked around her small cubby. There were a few trinkets Michael had given her, some clothes and her sewing kit in the corner.

She smiled wirily, Well at least I pack light, she thought to herself.

A few moments later she had her sack filled with her few belongings and was sitting at the table writing out a letter to Michael, Calcifer, and Howl. She knew that Howl must have been ignoring her because he didn't love her. He was probably uncomfortable being around her knowing how she felt about him. After all, he was a coward and slither-outer, and when the very person he was trying to run from lived in his own castle what was he to do? She wasn't an old woman any more, things were different now.

_Dear Howl, Michael and Calcifer,_

_Im sorry I could not have said goodbye in person, but I think things will be better this way. I have broken both contract and curse, so I see no reason to stay any longer. Howl, you really must keep this place looking at least halfway decent for Michaels sake. Michael you will make a great wizard some day, don't let me down! Calcifer, I'll miss you. _

_Always yours,_

_Sophie_

_Sophie folded the letter and pinned it beneath a spell book sitting out on the table. _

_I wonder how long it will take them to find the letter, she thought and almost chuckled to herself. No doubt Howl wouldn't notice her absence for a good week, and only because his precious spiders would be making their homes on the rafters again. She glanced behind her to where Calcifer was sleeping soundly. A part of her wanted to wake him up just to tell him goodbye at least, but she couldn't. Better to leave quietly and save herself more heart ache._

_Silently she stood up from the table and tiptoed to the door, not caring what color the dial was set on as long as it wasn't black, Sophie turned the knob and slipped out into the warm night._


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from HMC, all credit goes to DWJ for their creation!

-If you find any sentences that just seem out of place or sound all together weird please tell me! There are some in here I think sound off but my brain just cant find a way around them!

Chapter 3

Howl groaned and rolled over in his dusty bed fighting to stay asleep. After a few minutes of tossing and turning he finally gave in and opened his eyes. The sun had just begun to rise in Wales, only pink and purple sky showed through his small window, why had he woken so early? He lay back staring up at the cobwebs, and his thoughts fell instantly to Sophie.

She hates those spiders. He smiled and thought how happy she would be if only he would let her in to sweep up their tiny homes. What was the matter with him he wondered, why could he barely form a thought in his head when she was around now, let alone a sentence! Howl had never been one to have problems charming women, why should Sophie be any different? Maybe it was because he still thought of Sophie as an old woman. He ignored the fact that when she had been an old woman he had thought of her as the young girl she truly was. You couldn't charm women who you thought of as your dear old mother could you? Yes, that must be it.

Howl felt satisfied with the answer to his personal dilemma and smiled contently to himself. Though deep down in the dark cobwebbed corners of his mind he knew that wasn't the real reason he couldn't think straight when Sophies eyes locked with his, or the reason his newly restored heart skipped when her youthful face smiled up at him.

His thoughts of Sophie where soon interrupted by the realization of how quite the castle was. Ever since her young body was restored Sophie had gotten up even earlier than before to begin her daily routine. Howl had been sure this was done just to spite him, try to rouse him up out of bed at an un-godly hour. So far he had been able to successfully sleep through any clattering and clamoring she was able to conjure.

He lay still, straining to hear the banging of pans as Sophie made breakfast or her voice as she spoke with Calcifer. But this morning he heard nothing except ringing silence. Throwing the blankets back he bounded off the bed and flung himself out of his room, almost falling down the stairs in his hurry to reach the main floor where he was sure to find Sophie.

She was no where in sight, and when he pulled the curtain back from her cubby thinking _surely_ she had only overslept he was met with more disappointment. Howl turned and went for the door. Maybe she had gone out to get flowers from the garden?

If he had been paying any attention at all he would have noticed a bemused fire calmly watching the whole ordeal from the grate.

After a few minutes he raced back inside and began fumbling through books piled along the floor next to the shelf.

"Calcifer wake up! Sophies been taken! And right under my own bloody roof!" He didn't stop his frantic searching to look at the demon as he spoke.

Calcifer began crackling and popping in laughter, which did cause the wizard to turn around and stalk towards the fire.

"How can you possibly be laughing? Sophie is _gone_, someone has taken her and all you can do is _laugh_?" He glared down at the still chuckling demon wanting to snuff him out with one word.

"You do realize I have never been more tempted to be like Sophie and dump a cold bucket of water over you!"

Calcifer looked up grinning devilishly as he visibly fought to control himself before speaking.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Look Howl calm down and think about this hmm? Who could have possibly gotten in here and taken Sophie? I would actually feel sorry for the poor bastard who succeeded in kidnapping her! " Calcifer watched him for a moment, letting the idea sink in. Howl fell into the chair and buried his face in his hands. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest and it frustrated him.

"There is a letter on the table. I wanted to read it but, I figured you would be angry when I turned to ashes" Calcifer spoke absently as he grabbed another log and settled around it.

Howl on the other hand was already at the table and tearing open the letter before Calcifer had even finished the sentence. His hands trembled slightly as his gaze ran over the few lines she had written, then angrily he balled it up and tossed it at Calcifer.

"What is she thinking? Leaving with out even telling me? After everything I've done for her, I let her live in my castle, provided for her, even saved her life and _this _is how she repays me? By leaving a little note and running off into the night! Not to mention all the danger she's probably getting herself into!"

He began pacing across the room mumbling angrily to himself and not taking notice to the small scorch marks that were beginning to show in his tracks.

"Hmm says she'll miss me, do you think she'll miss you too Howl? " Calcifer asked in a sly manner while he watch Howls frantic, and quite destructive pacing. Howl swung around glaring venomently at Calcifer, who in turn actually shrank back into his grate.

" I don't care if she misses me at all! No, wait I do hope she misses me! I hope she misses me so much she comes running back and begs me to let her back in!" He spat towards the fire.

"Of course I wouldn't though. In fact maybe I'll move the castle so she'll have to search endlessly for me."

At this point Michael had woken and come running into the room still in his bedclothes, hair a sleep tangled mess atop his head.

"Howl what's going on? Why is the castle shaking- Oh! Why is Howl so angry?" Upon seeing Howl in a mood that went beyond green slime he looked towards Calcifer for explanation.

"Oh its nothing terribly serious Michael, Howl is just suffering his first bout with a broken heart. Which does happen to come at an inconvient time seeing as you just got it back. Haven't really had time to enjoy it properly have you Howell?" Calcifer continued "and as much as I thoroughly enjoy your suffering, I wouldn't worry to much about it. Just accept the fact that you love Sophie and go find her, it shouldn't be to hard for you after all the practice you've had should it?"

Howl stared mutely at the fire demon for a moment before he was able to collect himself. Did he really love Sophie? Oh he had known there was _something _there, deep down, he had been trying to ignore it but had it been _love? He turned around and went to sit back at the table. _

"_Why do you think she left?" He said quietly, staring down at his hands. Michael snorted, showing Howl how much time he had been spending around a certain woman in question. He looked at the young man and watched as Michael calculated his response, finally he sighed and looked at Howl earnestly._

"_You really don't understand do you? She left because you've been avoiding her since you got your heart back and she turned young again. Now where Cal and I both know you were acting like a school boy with his first crush, Sophie just probably assumed you didn't want her around anymore." Michael shrugged and walked towards the kitchen to get the tea kettle. He stared around a bit scratching his head, wondering where she could have left the pot. Finally after much searching he found it in a most obvious spot and went to try convince Calcifer what a good fire he would be to boil some water for poor heartbroken Howl._

_After a few minutes of arguing Calcifer finally relented and bent down so Michael could put the kettle over his head. _

"_It shouldn't be a problem for you to find her should it? I mean, how far could she have gotten?" _

_Howl didn't answer but instead stood up and not bothering to take a hot bath or change clothes, simply waved his hand over his robe which then appeared to be the black suite. He knew he had to find some way to get her back, and before the crazy fool got herself killed. He walked to the door and closed his eyes, trying to feel out which portal the door had led Sophie through. With out turning to look at Michael he told him to find out if his "Lettie" knew anything, opened the door to Porthaven and stepped into the early morning sunshine._


End file.
